---
title: "Accessibility Checker Rule Help: WCAG20_Elem_Lang_Valid"
---
import "../../../styles/ToolHelp.scss"
import { CodeSnippet, Tag } from "carbon-components-react";

<div className="toolHelp">
<Row>
<Column colLg={16} colMd={8} colSm={4} className="toolHead">

### Specified language is not valid [BCP 47](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/bcp/bcp47.txt)

<div id="locLevel"></div>

The language of content must be specified in accordance with BCP 47

</Column>
</Row>
<Row>
<Column colLg={11} colMd={5} colSm={4} className="toolMain">

### Why is this important?

When language attributes are used to identify the language of a page or specific content within a page, the attribute values must conform to [BCP 47](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/bcp/bcp47.txt). This ensures that user agents can correctly present the content using the correct presentation and pronunciation rules for that language.

<div id="locSnippet"></div>

### What to do

* Update the value of the `lang` or `xml:lang` attribute to a value that conforms to [BCP 47](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/bcp/bcp47.txt) to correctly identify the language.

For example:

<CodeSnippet type="multi" light={true}>&lt;blockquote lang="fr"&gt;
  &lt;p&gt;
    Prouver que j’ai raison serait accorder que je puis avoir tort.
  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;</CodeSnippet>

</Column>
<Column colLg={5} colMd={3} colSm={4} className="toolLeft">

### About this requirement

[IBM 3.1.1 Language of page](https://www.ibm.com/able/requirements/requirements/#3_1_1)
[IBM 3.1.2 Language of parts](https://www.ibm.com/able/requirements/requirements/#3_1_2)
[WCAG 2.1 HTML technique H57](https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/html/H5700)
[WCAG 2.1 HTML technique H58](https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Techniques/html/H58)

### Who does this affect?

* People using a screen reader, including blind, low vision and neurodivergent people
* People with low vision
* People with dexterity impairment using voice control

</Column>
</Row>
</div>

export default ({ children, _frontmatter }) => (<React.Fragment>{children}</React.Fragment>)
